Obscene words in messages to be blocked

Texters in Pakistan better start watching their language. Pakistan's telecommunications authority sent a letter ordering cell phone companies to block text messages containing what it perceives to be obscenities, Anjum Nida Rahman, a spokeswoman for Telenor Pakistan, said yesterday. It also sent a list of more than 1,500 English and Urdu words that were to be blocked. The order was part of the regulator's attempt to block spam messages, Rahman said. Many of the words to be blocked were sexually explicit terms or swear words, according to a copy of the list. It also included relatively mild terms like fart and idiot. The reasons for blocking some words, including Jesus Christ, headlights and tampon, were less clear, raising questions about religious freedom and practicality. The letter, which was also obtained by the AP, was dated November 14 and gave cell phone companies seven days to implement the order. The letter said the order was legal under a 1996 law preventing people from sending information through the telecommunications system that is "false, fabricated, indecent or obscene".